Starting device for automobiles.



T. E. HAUGHT.

. STARUNG DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBLLES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I8. 1917- I Patented Oct. 15, 191.8.

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THOMAS E. HAUGHT, 0F WILSONBURG, WEST VIRGINIA.

STARTING DEVICE FOR.AUTOMOBILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1918.

Application filed July 18, 1917. Serial No. 181,335.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS E. HAUGHT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wilsonburg, in the county of Harrison, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Automobiles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to starters for antomobiles. V

More particularly, the invention relates to mechanical starters, and has for its object to provide a simple and powerful starting device for automobiles particularly of the Ford type, that is, automobiles in which engines of lesser horse power are employed.

With the above object in view, and such others relating to the details of construction, as may hereinafter appear, my invention will now be fully set forth and described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings s Figure 1 is a front elevation of an automobile frame and power plant, with the radiator removed, showing the application of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the mechanism and associated parts,

Fig. 3 is a plan view,

Fig. 4 is a detail enlargement and ratchet device,

gig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4, an

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 represents the extension of the engine of a pawl shaft which has the usual head to receive the hand crank ratchet head 2, of the starting crank 3. Associated in the usual manner with the shaft 1 is a drive pulley 4 from which the belt 5 is driven in order to operate the fan pulley 6, the fan 7 lying directly behind the belt 5 so that an open space exists between the two. Mounted within the pulley 4, is an annulus 8 whose periphery is formed into a series of ratchet teeth 9, the annulus extending forwardly beyond the pulley 4 so as to provide a bearing for a sleeve 10 which wholly surrounds the annulus 8 and loosely rides thereupon. The sleeve 10, uponits upper side extends forwardly as an-arm 11, and has secured thereto an extension 12 of asleeve 13' which rotatably surrounds the shaft bearing 14. Thus, the elements 11 and 12 provide a brace for the sleeve 10 and utilize the element 13 as an extended bearing. Rising from the sleeve 10, and extending to one side thereof is a pair of arms 15 whose extremities support a grooved are or segment 16, in concentric relation to the shaft 1, and the annulus 8. A cable 17 has one end secured to the lower end of the segment 16, and after passing over its grooved periphery, extends then to a pulley 18 mounted upon the engine 1 frame or casing, after'which it may be suitably directed to the drivers seat for his con venient operation. It should be noted at this point that the segments 16 and the arms 15 operate between the fan 7 and the belt 5. The segment 16 is held in its normal lowered position by means of a spring 19 which has one end connected to a cable 20 which passes over a pulley 21, and then connects to the lower one of the arms 15. Between the lowered ends of the arms 15, the sleeve 10 is apertured in a radial direction so as to provide a guideway for a pawl 22 which is formed on the lower end of a rod 23, whose upper end is guided by'reciprocating in an aperture'24 formed in thesegment 16.

It should also be noted, that the upper end of the rod or bar 23 is grooved to coincide with the grooved periphery of the segment 16, and the cable 17 which passes over the segment 16 also'contacts with the projected end of the bar 23, and this contacting rela tion has a function in effecting the relative movement of the bar 23 with relation to the segment 16. Mounted upon the side of the bar 23 is a strap 25 whose lower end terminates in a dog-26, which extends rearwardly from the pawl 22, and is adapted, upon movement of the segment l6sto its normal position, to strike against a cam head 27 formed upon a fixed part of the engine frame or casing which underlies the sleeve 10. Thus, when the bar 23 is moved inwardly with relation to the se ment 16, the pawl 22 may engage the teeth 9 of the ratchet, but when the segment 16 is swung to its normal position, the dog 26 engages the cam 27 and causes the retraction of the pawl 22 from engagement with the teeth, while locating it within the recess between the arms 15. In order to cause the bar 23 to snap into either its extended or retracted position, l have mounted a bow spring 28 upon the lower face of the segment 16 so that its legs may surround a pin 29 extended from the side of the bar 28, a contracted portion 30 ot the spring being adapted to lie directly above or below the iin 29, depending upon the posit-ion of the bar 23.

In the operation of the above described device, the shaft is cranked by drawing on the cable 1' from the suitable hand device at the drivers seat. This action draws the segment 16 in a clockwise direction. The tension on the cable 17 furthermore tends to exert a pressure on the bar 23, thereby throwing the pawl through the sleeve 10 into engagement with the teeth 9 of the ratchet annulus S. This actuation of the segment, against the tension of the spring 19 will crank the shaft and consequently the engine in an obvious manner. As soon as the cable 17 is released, the spring 19 tends to retract the segment 16 and as soon as the retraction has been carried on to a suliicient extent, the dog 26 strikes against the cam 2'? the]: by lifting the bar and removing the pawl 22 out of engagement with the teeth 9.

Obviously, the above described retraction of the pawl 2'2 ttromengagement with the teeth 9 and the locking thereo; in the retracted position by means ot' the spring 28 provides an automatic disconnection of the pawl. and ratchet mechanism which will prevent destruction of the starting device when the engine bftClififBS.

Furthermore, in connection with the above, it should be noted that the spring 19 is so arranged that its initial pull on the Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the arm 15, at the beginning of the cranking actioinis at right angles to the lover or arm,

so that its initial action is greatest at the 1 time when the greatest tension is needed to cause the starting cable to act against the upper end of the bar 28 so as to throw the pawl into engagement with the ratchet wheel. 7

The starter which has been above described is a simple and eiiecti e one, and not only provides a practical starting device, but also one which is safe against injurious eftects of bachfirin What 1' claim as my invention is An en ine starter including the combina' tion with an engine shaft, oi a ratchet annulus thereon, a collar journaled concentric with respect to the shaft, an arcuate segment carried by said collar, a cable secured at one end of the segment and trained about the periphery t the segment for rocking the seglient, a pawl bar having one end transversely slidable in the segment and having its other en l engageable with the teeth of the annulus, means for sliding said pawl bar outwardly from engagement with the ratchet teeth and the first named end of the pawl bar being cngageable by the cable tor moving said i i 1 p g pawl oar inwardly upon the application or rocking tension to the cable.

in testimony whereof, I aiiin my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS ELHAUGHT.

Brianne/Karen.

PAL]

Gommissioner of Eatents.

Washington, D. i3. 

